Year: 2013

Notes from JWR:

It sounds like our friend Tam (of the View From The Porch blog) is having Epic Fun at a three gun match at the western edge of The American Redoubt, near Bend, Oregon. She sounds jazzed. — I was glad to that the Rural Revolution blog is back up on line at its original URL. — Today we present another entry for Round 48 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include: First Prize: A.) Gunsite Academy Three Day Course Certificate, good for any one, two, or three course. (A $1,195 value.) B.) A course certificate …


Rabbits for a Stable (and Staple) Protein Source, by S.F.D. in West Virginia

What if you could have a protein source that is inexpensive to maintain, that would not draw attention the attention of prying eyes and ears and it actually produces valuable bi-products that can be used/traded/sold to help offset remaining costs?   Consider the common domestic rabbit. Rabbits have been kept as a meat animal since before the times of the Roman Empire.  They have fed people during good times (as a farm or ranch animal) and in bad times such as: wars, famines, even in America during the Great Depression and both world wars.    Today you can find rabbit meat in …


Economics and Investing:

G.G. flagged this item: A Blunder at the Money Factory Items from The Economatrix: Bernanke Just Felt a Chill Down His Spine Suppressing wages and increasing corporate profits: The tough math behind the current economic recovery. They Are Systematically Destroying Our Independence And Making Us All Serfs Of The State


Odds ‘n Sods:

The Nation’s 25 Most Dangerous Neighborhoods.    o o o Reader T.K. wrote to mention some good news: “The price of the PTR-91 [a HK91 clone rifle] has returned to normal. I bought mine a couple of months after the Newtown Shootings and paid well over $1,400. One Source Tactical is now selling the rifle with five new mags for $975. It was a good rifle at $1,400 but a great one at $975.”  [JWR Adds: It is noteworthy that all of their recent production rifles have barrels with the “GI” spec chambers, which makes them tolerant to most types …



Note from JWR:

Today we present another entry for Round 48 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include: First Prize: A.) Gunsite Academy Three Day Course Certificate, good for any one, two, or three course. (A $1,195 value.) B.) A course certificate from onPoint Tactical. This certificate will be for the prize winner’s choice of three-day civilian courses. (Excluding those restricted for military or government teams.) Three day onPoint courses normally cost $795, and C.) Two cases of Mountain House freeze dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources. (A $350 value.) D.) a $300 …


Amateur Radio for Preppers, by Pastor R.V.

Introductory Disclaimer: I am not an expert in amateur radio in the sense that I have extensive electronics knowledge, nor am I an expert in prepping. However, I have some experience in disaster and lightweight, portable radio operations and have an interest in being prepared. I have been an amateur radio operator, or “ham,” since 1997 when I was first licensed as a fifteen year old. At that point I was drawn to the hobby because my grandfather has always been very active in the amateur radio community and a stickler for disaster communication readiness. In 2011 I finally upgraded …


Letter Re: Don’t Forget the Fuses

For  those of you planning on bugging out with a knife and a backpack when the SHTF, read no further because nothing in this article will be of value to you. For those of us who, for one reason or another, have to plan on bugging in, this might serve as a reminder to stock some cheap but necessary items that you may not have considered. Judging by the number of survival threads and articles that I have read, a number of us plan on maintaining, if possible, some sort of energy source should EMP, flood, hurricane, terrorist act or …


Economics and Investing:

Eight College Degrees with the Worst Return on Investment. [JWR’s Comments: One loser program that they left off the list: the Bachelor’s Degree in Social Work (BSW.) OBTW, is it just a coincidence that many of these degree programs are dominated by leftists–both students and faculty?] Reader CJA suggested: The Incredible Shrinking COMEX Gold Warehouse Inventories US debt six times greater than declared – study Items from The Economatrix: How Washington Could Push Gas Prices Higher Next Fed Chair Will Lead Us to ‘Economic Ruin,’ Says Peter Schiff Top technician: Yes, 2013 does look like 1987


Odds ‘n Sods:

Brazil uprising points to rise of leaderless networks. (The 21st Century Paradigm: Unemployment + social media networking = riots.)    o o o A reader in Switzerland wrote to mention that an anti-gun “Ministry of Truth” cabal at Wikipedia is attemping to systematically expunge any references to mayors who have resigned and the mayors who have criminal convictions from the Mayors Against Illegal Guns wiki page. These guys make Stalin and his successors look like amateurs. If you are an experienced Wikipedian, feel free to chime in.    o o o Ingrown Toenails in Tough Times    o o o …



Notes from JWR:

August 14th is remembered annually as Victory Over Japan Day. V-J Day in 1945 was indeed a day to celebrate. Although communism would soon again bring war clouds over East Asia,V-J Day brought a sigh of relief to millions. Few could have predicted that in just a decade Japan would re-emerge as an economic powerhouse, only to be eventually eclipsed by a post-communist China. On August 14th, President Harry Truman announced: “This is the day we have been waiting for since Pearl Harbor. This is the day when Fascism finally dies, as we always knew it would.” — Today we …


Emergency Preparedness: 101, by Jennie From the Flats

Wakeup Call  It was 2 o’clock in the morning when our two year old toddler woke me with a terrifying scream. She was just across the hallway, but I was disoriented for a moment and couldn’t figure out why I was blind.  As I realized the power was out, I looked for the battery-powered lantern I keep beside the bed only to find it missing.  The three year old had probably been playing with it again.  I felt my way around the house and hoped the lantern would still have power.  It clicked on and what a blessed sight that …


Letter Re: The Value of a Magnifying Glass

JWR, I have been a reader, and sometimes commentator, of your blog for some years. I have read all kinds of ideas on what should be carried for all kinds of bad things happening scenarios. One thing I have rarely seen mentioned is the simplest and cheapest fire starter around: a magnifying glass. No moving parts. No fancy training. Hardly any space required. Less that $10 in any drugstore as a “reading glass.” I have one that is 4” diameter by ½” thick one that I have carried, unprotected, in my coat pocket for over 30 years. It has a …


Economics and Investing:

Monty Pelerin: Tyranny Rules Nearly $1 Trillion in pension liabilities! The Post Office Is Broke: It’s Time To End Washington’s Postal Monopoly. (Thanks to Brian L. for the link.) The Rise Of The Bear: 18 Signs That Russia Is Rapidly Catching Up To The United States Items from The Economatrix: A Quadrillion Yen And Counting – The Japanese Debt Bomb Could Set Off Global Panic At Any Moment The accelerating race to a student debt implosion: Federal student loans rose by $266 billion since 2011. 85 percent of consumer debt growth since 2011 because of student debt. Dr. Doom Warns …